Jillian Michaels’ recently launched her brand new pregnancy book Yeah Baby! that explores the unknowns of pregnancy to new mama’s to expand your pregnancy knowledge.

It was great to chat with Jillian about her new book. I was thrilled to see that she includes a much more holistic approach then I’ve seen with other general pregnancy books {avoiding toxins, thyroid, supplementation, and more}.

Ms. Jillian Michaels: “the reason I wanted to {write this book} is because I was absolutely stunned and aghast… that, A: the amount of misinformation, B: the amount of dated information, and C: the tremendous influence that Big Food and Big Pharma have on mainstream information simply because they do a lot of advertising in those publications and on those websites.”

I couldn’t agree more with that! There is a lot of dated info out there and a lot that’s being pushed by Big Pharma! So frustrating!

Ms. Jillian Michaels:“if it doesn’t feel right to you, get multiple opinions, please. Be proactive because I think that we’re so quick to give up our way and say, “Oh, well, these doctors are gods. They know everything.” We do that in various aspects of our lives. They are the expert. They know.

But, that isn’t the case. There are great lawyers, there are bad lawyers. There are great doctors, there are bad doctors. Doctors don’t know everything, and they know very little about nutrition or environmental toxins and so on. So, be very proactive, get all the information, and then make the decisions that are right for your family. “

So so true mamas – it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion, especially if it doesn’t feel right.

Hormones and Pregnancy

Ms. Jillian Michaels:“my introduction to this conversation came because–and you’ll read this in the book, but what happened was, Heidi and I ended up in a fertility clinic not because she was infertile. She’s 32 years old, perfectly healthy, but because we’re a same-sex couple. So we get sent there because we’re going to be inseminated, and all of a sudden, they’re like, oh, we need to run all these tests.

Why are you not getting pregnant with so much time having gone by?” They found that she was hyperthyroid, and I had no idea how dramatically the mother’s thyroid hormone impacts the baby, how significant and important it is.

We ended up having to get her thyroid levels in check, with Dr. Van Herle, who’s the book’s endocrinologist, –and I was like, well, what would have happened if she’d gotten pregnant? Then what? And she’s like, oh, we deal with it in the midst. And I was like, why doesn’t anybody say this?

How come nobody’s saying, “Hey, you know, if you’re going to get pregnant in the next X amount of years, just make sure you prep the body and you take six months at least to get your ducks in a row.” No one has ever had that conversation with anyone I know, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.“

Nutrition and Pregnancy

Ms. Jillian Michaels: “I think a lot of women don’t appreciate that the things that we can do or you’re consuming while you’re pregnant have such a dramatic, long-term impact on your child from not only their taste in certain foods but in their level or amount of fat cells, whether or not they’re predisposed to obesity, their IQ, their long-term earning potential, their cardiovascular conditioning.

You’ll never have a chance for the rest of both your lives to influence them positively in the way you can when you’re growing them inside your tummy.

I think when women see how powerful they truly are with their food choices: your child’s intelligence, their healthy weight, their athleticism, their tastes in foods– that’s when they’ll really be motivated.”

The Modern Mama’s Guide to Mastering Pregnancy.

You know Jillian Michaels as the world’s leading fitness expert, celebrity trainer, author and a renowned nutritionist; but she’s also a proud mother of two. In Yeah Baby! Jillian, along with her team of top-notch experts, will change everything you think you know about pregnancy. Arming you with the most cutting-edge information available, so you can make the right choices for you and your little one.

Jillian dove into this topic of prenatal health that is outside of her perceived fitness style to show that your health is super important during pregnancy. The book is not only well-written, but relevant when it comes to holistic topics such as supplementation, what to avoid and how to minimize toxins during your pregnancy.

Her book is a great addition to all of my exercises, workouts, deep core strengthening and my Push Prep Method which you will find in my Knocked-Up Fitness Membership, DVD’s and book ‘The Knocked-Up Fitness Guide to Pregnancy’.

Jillian Michaels book is worth the read to become aware of the adventure you are about to embark on through your pregnancy; understanding check-ups, tests and doctor recommended treatments to protect your baby inside before we get your body back after baby. The information inside this book is a great source of information to correspond with the purchase of The Knocked-Up Fitness Membership to stay healthy, fit and confident throughout your pregnancy.

I’ve had way to many mama’s tell me they’ve been told there’s nothing they can do to fix their diastasis recti {abdominal separation}. Some tell me their doctors says surgery is the only option – I can’t express how frustrating this is!!!!

Neither are good or correct answers.

You can work to heal diastasis recti naturally and safely through proper movement and fascial activation. That’s what my program is all about!

Plus so much more. Not only will your core feel stronger then ever before, but your entire body, the way you move, stand, sit and carry will transform how your feel both physically and emotionally!

I can’t wait to share more with you about my Core Rehab Program launching in under 2 weeks – to teach you how to properly strengthen your abdominals for life long success! Yes, this includes healing diastasis recti! and … it’s not just for your abs but for your entire body!!!

A couple tips to think about:

Think about ‘zipping up’ your entire core from your pelvic floor muscles through your low belly and lengthening tall through the top of your head.

Pregnant Mamas – you can start right now learning how to properly strengthen your core with my video’s in my Knocked-Up Fitness Membership. It’s the foundation of what I teach in all my workouts too!

Stop sucking your abs in! I know you may be thinking,’but wait, that’s what I’ve been taught to do…”

That’s the answer I’ve receive countless times when a new client comes my way and we start working connecting her deep core. It actually does the opposite of what you may think it does. Crazy Right?!?!

Watch my video below and take notice of how it effects your breathing… {it’s a BIG DEAL}.

{sign up below for some of my tips for improving your posture and core strength starting today!}

Improve Your Core Connection!

This falls inline with my previous post about ‘untucking your butt’! Time and time again I see people tucking their butt and sucking their belly in thinking this is helping their ‘abs’ get stronger – but it’s not helping your body and in the long term can equal back pain, neck pain, core dysfunction and more.

This is why I’m super excited about my Core Rehab Program launching later this year – to teach you how to properly strengthen your abdominals for life long success! Not just for your abs but for your entire body!!! Yippee!!

A couple tips to think about:

Think about ‘zipping up’ your entire core from your pelvic floor muscles through your low belly and lengthening tall through the top of your head.

Pregnant Mamas – you can start right now learning how to properly strengthen your core with my video’s in my Knocked-Up Fitness Membership. It’s the foundation of what I teach in all my workouts too!

Well truth is – almost every new client that comes to me the first thing I work on is posture and this includes getting him or her to stop tucking their butt!!!!

No wonder everyone has back problems, core disfunction, neck pain, and on and on. Yes – believe it or not if you tuck your butt that could be the source {or part of the source} of where pain is coming from. For many, where you actually feel your pain isn’t usually where the source of the cause of the pain is coming from.

You still with me??? Okay I started going off a bit but really it’s all connected and by ‘untucking your butt’ your body will thank you. It’s no easy task so give your body time and be patient, change takes both of those TIME and PATIENCE.

{sign up below for some of my tips for improving your posture and core strength starting today!}

Pregnant Mamas: One last thing, postural changes during pregnancy can actually encourage your pelvis to tuck under. I know, annoying right. But by being aware of that postural shift you can work on minimizing your butt tucking and encourage proper posture and alignment as your pregnancy progresses. You will enjoy my Knocked-Up Fitness Membership!

I’m beyond excited to soon be able to offer just the program to help with all those above bullets and a big part is about posture and of course it’s going to include how to untuck your butt! and oh so much more!

Sign up below to join my waitlist and in the meantime enjoy my video I’ll send you after you sign up!

Tired of that annoying low back pain? Say ‘bye-bye’ with this simple and extremely effective foam rolling glute release exercise. {be sure to sign up below for some of my tips for improving your posture and core strength starting today!}

I absolutely LOVE foam rolling!

Plus the benefits of including foam rolling release exercises can be incredible.

It’s great during pregnancy and beyond! Every single one of my clients has seen tremendous benefit by learning simple foam rolling release exercises. If you find this one provides a bit of relief in your low back and/or sacral area in even just after spending 30 to 60 seconds releasing then it’s one that I recommend you do on a daily basis.

Some simple tips for making this foam rolling release most effective:

Engage your deep core muscles

Lengthen tall through the top of your head

Move s-l-o-w-l-y

Breathe deep + slow

Relax those tense shoulders and hip!

My favorite foam roller is by Trigger Point and you can find it here on Amazon – plus because it’s hollow you can easily travel with it! I never get on a plane without mine {just stuff some clothes inside so it’s doesn’t take up much space}.

]]>http://knocked-upfitness.com/foam-rolling-glute-release/feed/0Learn How To Do Squats Properly {Video}http://knocked-upfitness.com/learn-squats-properly-video/
http://knocked-upfitness.com/learn-squats-properly-video/#commentsWed, 21 Sep 2016 19:19:42 +0000http://knocked-upfitness.com/?p=8686The post Learn How To Do Squats Properly {Video} appeared first on Knocked-Up Fitness.
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How to do squats PROPERLY! Okay mama’s you are going to love these tips! They will help you make your squats more effective, lift your booty and give your pelvis, hips, and knees more support – plus help strengthen your deep core. Watch my short video below:

Squats are a very functional movement and one I highly recommend learning how to do properly asap!

Strive to feel the back of your legs working as much or more then your thighs {quads}

Your low back should be working to stabilize but never feel stressed

Think of your ‘sitz bone’ the boney underside of your butt {pelvis} pressing back then up as you stand out of a squat to help you activate those muscles on the underside of your pelvis

Lastly, avoid overusing your ‘upper glutes’. Sometimes those are mistaken for ‘low back’, and it can feel like you have pain in your low back. When really, you need to work on strengthening the underside of your glutes and hamstrings to give your pelvis better support. This will also help you ‘untuck’ your butt!

That’s right! Stop tucking your bum as it’s not helping you get you booty lifted again and actually ‘shuts off’ your deep core muscles! {there’s much more on that I’ll be posting about later}.

Pregnant mama’s stay strong with my workouts, and deep core strengthening videos while improving your posture when you join my Knocked-Up Fitness Membership! Plus you get to join me for monthly group coaching calls! And YES it is safe to do squats during pregnancy and one of my favorites that I recommend to my clients, but you must do them correctly.

]]>http://knocked-upfitness.com/learn-squats-properly-video/feed/16 Important Nutrients for Pregnancyhttp://knocked-upfitness.com/6-important-nutrients-pregnancy/
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This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation on behalf of Viactiv that contains affiliate links. I received Viactiv products for my own personal use. This post is not intended to address, diagnose or treat any medical conditions. All opinions, text and experiences are my own. Always discuss any changes in your nutrition and supplementation with your doctor.

It’s important to get adequate of these important nutrients during pregnancy because baby will take from your body what baby needs for proper development. Which means, in the long run it may be your body that could suffer if you aren’t getting proper nutrition.

Here are 6 important nutrients for pregnancy that are recommended, plus some additional tips I always encourage with my pregnant mamas!

Calcium

Calcium is needed for helping to build healthy teeth, bones, muscles and heart. As a pregnant mama you need calcium to preserve your bone mass, as baby will take from your body what baby needs for proper development.

Pregnant women need 1000 mg of calcium daily to meet the recommended daily requirements, along with a combination of other vitamins such as Calcium and Vitamin D {more below}.

It’s optimal to get your calcium from foods such as dark leafy greens, broccoli, kale {just don’t overdue kale due to its effect it can have on thyroid function}, bok choy, figs, oranges, canned wild salmon {limit your fish intake when pregnant to 1 to 2 times per week}, almonds, and fortified foods such as cereals and milk.

I don’t mind the taste of the Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews, in my nutrition practice and professional review I would recommend them but would like to see them replace the hydrogenated oil with a healthier oil in the future.

Iron can be found in lean red meats, poultry, fish, and iron-fortified cereals.

Sometimes it’s best to take an iron supplement as a stand-alone supplement rather than together with a prenatal vitamin. Be sure to discuss iron supplementation with your doctor as it’s not necessary for every pregnant woman.

DHA

DHA is important for brain development, function, inflammation and overall health including helping to prevent depression both during pregnancy and postpartum.

During pregnancy and while nursing it’s important to include additional DHA supplementation to support what baby will take from you, your brain and body need the additional DHA as well.

The FDA, EPA and 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating 8 to 12 ounces of a variety of seafood {lower in mercury} weekly. Don’t worry if fish isn’t on your radar – you can easily supplement {and it’s something I highly recommend to all pregnant, nursing or neither}!

DHA can be found in fish and supplementation, the best fish options are salmon, anchovies, herring, sardines, trout, and Atlantic and Pacific mackerel, cod,

Some fish should be limited or completely avoided during pregnancy due to potential high mercury content include; swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, along with canned tuna {a small amount of canned tuna can be okay, but limit to less than 6 ounces in a week}.

Other food sources include flaxseeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and edamame, along with fortified foods and DHA supplements.

Even if you eat fish regularly, be sure to limit during pregnancy and read the list above of recommendations to eat and to avoid during pregnancy, it’s still a good idea to add an additional DHA supplement.

Folate and Folic Acid

Folate and folic acid are important for preventing birth defects.

Folate is a B vitamin and folic acid is the synthetic form of folate.

800 micrograms of folate or folic acid before conception and during pregnancy is the recommended dosage.

Institute of Medicine {IOM} recommends 600 IU per day of vitamin D, I’ve researched more about vitamin D and the vitamin D council actually recommends 4000 IU’s to 6000 IU’s daily during pregnancy and while nursing. That may sound like a lot, but the body needs it and more and more studies are finding that vitamin D is a crucial nutrient for so many functions of the human body.

Especially important in winter months when you may not be getting much vitamin D from the sun.

The best ways for you to get vitamin D are sun exposure and supplementation. Even with regular sun exposure adding additional supplementation may be needed as with sun exposure there are so many variables.

Iodine

Iodine is needed for normal brain development and growth, and is essential for thyroid hormone production.

IOM recommends 150-200 micrograms per day of iodine.

Check your prenatal vitamin to see if it includes iodine, if it doesn’t it’s a good idea to add. Always discuss with your doctor before.

Those are some of the important nutrients for pregnancy, here are some additional tips I always encourage my pregnant mama’s to do their best with:

Sleep – absolutely a key element to be sure you are allowing your body enough rest. Listen to your body and when it’s tired, it’s telling you to slow down and rest! There is so much going on right now and your baby and your body need to sleep.

Staying active – it’s important to stay active and move your body regularly, it doesn’t have to be a full workout to have huge benefits. Going for a short walk, doing a 10-minute workout or a handful of your favorite pregnancy exercises can help you to feel more energized and lead to many of the amazing benefits of staying active. Take advantage of the days you feel more energized and squeeze in a longer workout or walk!

Hydration – keep water with you at all times! Staying hydrated is a must, and later on in pregnancy de-hydration could lead to pre-term labor, or false labor. Keep in mind if you exercise regularly to up your intake!

De-stress – baby feels all the stress you do, and can impact your pregnancy. Do your best to minimize stress in your life while pregnant, maybe that means saying ‘no’ to activities from time to time, sleeping more, exercising more, eating healthier, doing things that make you feel happy, or including meditation.

Minimizing Sugar – I know those pregnancy cravings can get the best of you, but keeping your sugar intake minimal and picking and choosing what treats you eat can help you feel better, plus the health benefits of keeping your sugar in check. Sugar can increase inflammation in your body, increase stress, decrease energy, and more!

Calorie intake – increasing your calorie intake to only around 300 calories per day, such as an apple + 2 tbsp. nut butter. You aren’t actually ‘eating for two’, but you do need some additional calories. Listen to your body and do your best to include good quality proteins, fats, and veggies regularly. Allowing yourself to enjoy small treats here and there, but filling up with good solid nutritious foods.

“Please talk with your doctor before taking any supplements. This post is not intended to address or diagnose any medical conditions. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews are available in milk chocolate and caramel flavors at major retailers including CVS, Rite Aid, BJs Wholesale Club, Target, and Walmart, as well as supermarkets nationwide. Print this coupon to save $2 on your next in-store purchase of Viactiv.

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation on behalf of Viactiv that contains affiliate links. I received Viactiv products for my own personal use. This post is not intended to address or diagnose any medical conditions. All opinions, text and experiences are my own. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please speak with your healthcare provider regarding any medical concerns.

Say ‘bye-bye’ to that bloated belly! With these simple tips you can easily improve your digestion in no time, and once you get your digestive system back on track it’s important to note the changes you made to get it there.

I find for many digestion get’s off because of:

crappy processed food eaten often

de-hydration

lack of good bacteria in the gut

eating too many inflammatory foods {such as gluten, dairy, & sugar}

lack of movement {yes, exercise can stimulate digestion!}

not enough fiber {but just increasing fiber isn’t the answer, so stay with me}

Adding in a probiotic supplement {see below for what I use and what I recommend to my clients}.

Drink Kombucha {a fermented drink that is full of good bacteria for your gut! drink sparingly during pregnancy and while nursing, a little is okay, a lot is not as it has a natural detoxing affect and a small amount of alcohol from fermenation}.

Drink plenty of water! {hydration is important in order for things to ‘move effectively’}

Stay active! {Don’t over complicate being active, even just going for a walk can help}.

Add in collagen powder or bone broth, both have a very positive effect on your overall gut health plus many other benefits for your body too! {see my recommendations below}

Decreasing or elimination foods that tend to create more inflammation in the body, such as: gluten, dairy, sugar, processed foods {thanks to the many chemicals found in them}.

Ultimate Flora Women’s Complete 90 Billion– if you feel you don’t ‘go regularly’ {to at least kick start, then you can switch to the 25 Billion once you are going everyday} or take one of these every couple of days and the 25 billion in between those days.

Bone Broth – which you can make at home or purchase from a health food store.

Elimination Inflammatory Foods:

If you are thinking of elimination foods such as, gluten, dairy, alcohol, sugar and processed foods – that’s great! I do recommend keeping them out for 2 weeks before re-introducing any back in, and then when you do take note of how you feel and how your digestive system responds. Of course it’s a good idea to always keep your alcohol, sugar and processed food intake low.

Pregnancy Hormones – Relaxin for today’s topic can greatly effect your body both during pregnancy and for those first weeks postpartum too!

Relaxin is a pregnancy hormone – It allows for your ligaments to become for lax, specifically for your pelvis, to open up so your baby can birth out of your birth canal. However, it doesn’t only affect ligaments around your pelvis and hips.

It affects the your ligaments throughout your entire body, so you have to be cautious when it comes to stretching when you’re pregnant.

Avoid exercises that also require you to change direction quickly.

Active stretching that connects your muscles if far more effective {and safe!} then just holding a stretch.

While yoga can be very beneficial during pregnancy, we need to be cautious of going too deep into a poses.

Foam rolling is a great way to achieve balance, connectivity and healthy stretching {access to several foam rolling release videos in my Knocked-Up Fitness Membership}

Give yourself time to heal after delivery, mama. Your body has been through so much, now is not the time to risk injury. Relaxin stays in your body for 10-12 weeks+ after delivery. Try these exercises after baby once your doctor has approved you for exercise.

Core strength is central to all of my pregnancy and postpartum exercises – you will feel stronger, more fluid in your movements, and more flexible when you have an activated core.

My top tip to help avoid over-stretching:

‘work through a range of motion that feels good for your body’

With flexibility, we can always push our limits to where everyone has that threshold to where, “Oh, I feel tight.” When you’re pregnant, I recommend sto stay away from that, “Oh, that feels really tight” feeling.

It’s important to never force a stretch, this goes for whether you’re pregnant or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m a big believer in active stretching – really feeling your muscles connect.

Again, this can apply to any form of working out, but if you follow any of my workouts, You’ll notice I talk a lot about the connections and the lengthening while moving very fluidly through your body. Connecting those fascial lines.

The more connection we can have, the more support we have around our joints and our ligaments, instead of stressing them.

Relaxin can stay in your body for a good 10 weeks postpartum and most women don’t realize that. I made that mistake after my first was born and I knew about relaxin but almost 10 years ago didn’t know the depths of it. If you’re a Pilates guru like me, don’t get back on that reformer and do legs in the straps until everything is completely healed and you are well into 12+ weeks postpartum. Avoid any sort of exercises that resemble a split-type position.

Be cautious when you’re getting back into your workouts, because that relaxin is still there!